Free Republic

Global markets are increasingly unstable as sovereign debt burdens grow, social unrest brews, and confidence in traditional systems erodes. Against this backdrop, Martin Armstrong, founder of Armstrong Economics and creator of the Economic Confidence Model, brings rare insight into the cycles reshaping the world. In this conversation, Armstrong breaks down how centuries of historical data, political shifts, and rising debt pressures are converging into a major global reset. From sovereign defaults to civil unrest, he explains why the patterns are undeniable—and what they mean for the future of markets, governments, and society itself.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that Ukraine is “ready to purchase” more American-made Patriot missile systems from the United States, noting that it was a “top priority” for Ukraine to secure “air defense systems for Ukraine.” In a video on X, Zelensky said he had “held a Staff meeting” and added that, among the top priorities were Ukraine’s “agreements” with its partners, and Ukraine’s “readiness to produce air defense systems in Ukraine.” Zelensky added that Ukraine would “seek to reach a corresponding agreement” with the U.S. regarding “an agreement on Patriots for Ukraine.”

NEW DELHI (AP) — India and Pakistan have intensified their hostilities over the hotly contested Kashmir region following a massacre of 26 mostly Indian tourists, which New Delhi linked to Pakistan. Pakistan denies it was behind Tuesday’s attack by gunmen on a group of tourists in Kashmir. Both sides have since escalated the tensions by exchanging diplomatic and trade sanctions against each other and raising fears of a military conflict. Here are five reasons why a flare-up between India and Pakistan matters: The Kashmir attack can lead to an armed conflict between two neighbors Under intense domestic pressure, India has...

https://x.com/Bannons_WarRoom/status/1915570511570161785?t=3330s

Donald Trump berated Zelenskyy on April 23, after he said Ukraine would not legally recognize Russian control over Crimea. He said he will not accept ceding any territory, even though this is against the Minsk Agreement that was supposed to allow the Donbas to vote on separation, since they are Russians who have lived there for hundreds of years. Trade Unions House - Odessa on May 2, 2014 These people have a human right to separate from Ukraine, which hates Russians, and they were killing Russians on the street in Odessa during the 2014 Revolution, which prompted this entire separatist...

Fatima Hassouna, a war documentarian who had covered the conflict in Gaza on the ground for 18 months and the subject of a new documentary to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival next month, was killed along with seven members of her family in an Israeli strike this week. “If I die, I want a resounding death, I do not want me in urgent news, nor in a number with a group,” Hassouna wrote in a post on Instagram in August 2024. “I want a death that the world hears, an effect that remains for the extent of the...

A newly surfaced video reveals Plano Mayor John B. Muns offering the controversial East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) special access to public school officials—exposing once again how this mosque has transformed from a religious institution into a powerful political force shaping education, demographics, and public policy in Texas. Plano, Texas — In a deeply alarming and politically revealing moment, a newly surfaced video captures Plano Mayor John B. Muns inside the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), meeting with mosque leadership—including Yasir Qadhi, a cleric with a long-documented record of radical Islamic views—and offering them direct, special access to Plano school...

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair David Hogg recently gave $100,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) shortly after his plans to shake up the Democratic Party with new leadership angered party insiders. The news, which was first reported by Politico and Axios, was confirmed by Hogg in an X post on Friday, where he asserted that he wasn't "playing nice" by handing the six-figure donation over to the DCCC. "This is not me playing nice. It is demonstrating my commitment to winning back the house and making Hakeem Jeffries the Speaker, which is an absolute imperative," Hogg wrote...

The Alabama father who was nearly decapitated by a hatchet-wielding maniac died of his injuries Thursday night, almost two weeks after the unprovoked attack at an Arizona bus stop, his family announced. Jacob Couch was pronounced dead at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona, where he had been on life support since April 5 until his heart gave out, KOLD reported. “I can’t believe we made it 11 years. I always thought we would have so many more. I’ll love you forever and always,” his wife Kristen Couch wrote on Facebook. The 32-year-old was left in critical condition after...

he United Kingdom is worried about its King’s security after unidentified drones were seen over Charles Royal residence of Sandringham. A no-fly zone has been put in place over the King’s home after the scare occurred during the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the estate. ... “The restrictions were requested by security services on 4 March – days after Charles hosted Volodymyr Zelenskyy – and came into force on 10 March. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander signed off on the order that restricts aircraft from flying below 2,000 feet at Sandringham ‘for reasons of public safety and security’.”

A wave of Israeli strikes across Gaza on Sunday hit a hospital and other sites, killing at least 21 people, including children, as Israel vowed to expand its security presence in the small coastal strip. The predawn strike on Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City was the latest of several attacks on northern Gaza’s last major hospital providing critical health care. Hospital director Dr. Fadel Naim said the emergency room, pharmacy and surrounding buildings were severely damaged, affecting over 100 patients and dozens of staff. One patient, a girl, died during the evacuation following an Israeli warning because staff were unable...

President Volodymyr Zelensky has issued a plea to President Donald Trump to personally visit Ukraine and see the impact of the war himself, claiming that others simply can’t understand what’s happening without witnessing it first-hand. Ukraine’s President Zelensky has appealed to President Donald Trump to visit Ukraine, and argued that figures like Vice President JD Vance, Trump envoy Keith Kellogg, and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio can’t understand Ukraine without seeing the battlefield. Asked whether he would invite Trump to Ukraine, Zelensky said in a now-published interview recorded on Friday: “With pleasure. Please. I always wanted very much,...

Russia killed at least 32 people, including two children, in Ukraine on after launching ballistic missiles on civilians attending Palm Sunday services — in what authorities say was the deadliest attack on civilians so far this year. The missile strikes targeted the northeastern city of Sumy around 10 a.m. local time while Ukrainians were marking Palm Sunday and attending church. They also took place less than 48 hours after President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witfkoff met with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. An estimated 84 people, including 10 children, were injured in the deadly strike. That makes it one of the...

More and more mosques are being built in Sweden, including mega projects potentially funded from abroad.. Sweden has seen massive demographic changes over the last 25 years, and this is not only reflected in the demographic composition, but also the religious composition of the country. While churches continue to close their doors, the country went from approximately seven mosques in 2000 to now 300 in 2025. The exact figures are difficult to ascertain, however, the 300 mosques refers to permanent prayer places built for Muslim worship, which often feature a minaret and a dome. If unofficial places of Muslim worship...

The European veil of leftist intellectual and moral superiority is starting to crumble. In recent weeks, we’ve seen Europe begin to take responsibility for its defense, the climate crazies seeing many of their goals collapsing under the weight of the twin realities of science and economics, and the rise of conservative politicians who are seeking an end to the immigration invasion. ... Europe is now fully awake to the fact that the U.S. is not their on-call military ... Thanks to decades of cradle-to-grave benefits, in addition to their reliance on the U.S. for their defense, Europe essentially has no...

US stocks fell on Friday as China struck back at President Trump’s latest tariff with a total 125% tax — further escalating trade tensions between the two nations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 254 points, or 0.6%, after plummeting 1,014.79 the day before. The index has been on a wild ride over the past week as markets struggle to absorb back-and-forth trade war news, plunging more than 4,000 points after Trump revealed his so-called “reciprocal” tariffs last Wednesday, then recovering more than 1,500 points this week after he announced a 90-day pause on most of his harsher tariffs. The...

China announced Friday that it will raise tariffs on U.S. goods from 84% to 125% — the latest salvo in an escalating trade war between the world's two largest economies that has rattled markets and raised fears of a global slowdown. While U.S. President Donald Trump paused import taxes this week for other countries, he raised tariffs on China and they now total 145%. China has denounced the policy as “economic bullying" and promised countermeasures. The new tariffs begin Saturday.

The BRICS group of nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—has long aimed to challenge Western-controlled financial systems and reduce the world’s reliance on the US dollar. Now, that mission is getting an unexpected push, thanks to new tariff policies introduced by US President Donald Trump. BRICS Bloc Gains Momentum Amid US Trade Setbacks Trump has declared what he calls “Liberation Day,” a move that marks one of the biggest protectionist trade shifts since the 1930s. These new tariffs target both enemies and allies, and are expected to slow trade, increase prices in the US, and put brakes on global...

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy admitted he would “absolutely” vote for the Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections if President Trump continues to rattle the economy with his sweeping tariff war. The 48-year-old, who voted for Trump in the last election, told CNN Wednesday that he would still give the commander-in-chief a chance to prove his sweeping levies — but wouldn’t rule out jumping ship if the stock market continues to flounder. Asked if he’d be willing to ditch the GOP if the market doesn’t improve, Portnoy responded: “Yeah, absolutely.” “I was never some crazy MAGA guy,” the Barstool honcho...

Well, isn’t this fun? News that President Trump had decided to pause some of the tariffs that he recently unveiled for 90 days sent stock prices soaring. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up more than 2,900 points on Wednesday, and that is very good news. But not that much has actually changed, and the global trade war is still officially on. In fact, President Trump just hiked the tariff rate on Chinese imports to 125 percent… President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he was authorizing a 90-day pause in reciprocal tariffs to all countries except China, on which he...